CALIFORNIA
Modesto Bee
BY GARTH STAPLEY
gstapley@modbee.com
May 04, 2018
The same firm is conducting separate clergy sex scandal investigations of two former youth pastors at Modesto’s First Baptist Church, both of whom went on to long ministry careers elsewhere after church leaders here covered up their alleged abuse.
Virginia-based GRACE, or Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, has been hired by Scottsdale Bible Church to sort things out in the wake of Les Hughey’s recent resignation from Highlands, a church Hughey founded 20 years ago, also in Scottsdale. Hughey, 64, stepped down after The Modesto Bee revealed accusations of him having sex with girls in the Modesto congregation four decades ago.
GRACE also is investigating Brad Tebbutt, who was a youth pastor at First Baptist in Modesto when he sexually abused another girl 30 years ago. Another Modesto pastor said Tebbutt confessed to him, and Tebbutt’s current employer, the International House of Prayer of Kansas City, hired GRACE, run by a grandson of the late Billy Graham.
Highlands launched an investigation with another firm, MinistrySafe; another of Hughey’s former employers, Fellowship Bible Church in Arkansas, said they will sponsor a probe by an independent company as well.
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